Drawbar and slack control for trains



HJMZEZ@ Feb. 18, 1930. w. coYLE DRAWBAR AND SLACK CONTROL FOR TRAINSFiled July 26, 1928 3mm@ wffma@ @ma @gw @WV/vv Patented Feb. 18, 1930WALTER coYLE, 0E INDLANAPOLIS, INDIANA PATENT oF FICE DRAWBAR AND SLACKCONTROL FOR TRAINS Application filed July 26,

This invention relates to slack controlling means for trains and onefeature of the invention is the provision of air operated meansvforoperating the draw bars of the various Vcars yconstituting a train fortaking up or releasing the slack therebetween. i

A primary Vfeature of the invention is the provision of a control lmeansin the cab of the engine whereby the slack control means may 1 0; beoperated the entire length of the train by the trainmen in the cab. :Afurther feature of the invention is the provision ofY means forautomatically retaining a quantity of air forproviding a cushion toretardthe impact between the draw bars, as when the cars areaccidentally' uncoupled in a moving train. y l

A further feature o the inventionis the provision of anvalve adapted tobe closed for temporarily retaining, the air in the slack takeup means,in the event of the uncoupling Y of the cars and settingof the brakesthereon.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter more Jfully set forthand pointed out in the accompanying specification.

i In the accompanying` drawing which is made a part of this application,

Figure 1 is an elevation oaportion of a train, parts being broke out.

Figure 2 is a Vfragmentary sectional and diagrammatic view of the slackcontrolling mechanism, and,

Figure 3 is a` through a conventional draw barwith which the inventionis embodied, as seen on line 3-3,

Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates a locomotive and 2,the cars drawn thereby, in this instance freight carrying.or box cars,said locomotive and cars being of the conventional variety. Thelocomotive and each car are provided with draw bars 3, having couplingheads 4 attheir outer ends, said draw bars being connected to theirrespective elements in the approved manner, preferably slidable in aframe 5, the shank of the draw bar having an elongated slot 6therethrough which is intersected by a partition 7 fixed to the frame 5.The usual form of bumpers are 50 placed in the slot 6 on opposite sidesof the 192s. serial No. 295,512;

partition 7, preferably coiled -sections of springs 8, which receive andcushion'theimpact of the blows incident to the slack movements of thevarious cars in relation to each other constituting the train. Thelongitudinal movement of the draw bars is limited'by means of a crossbar 9 carried by the draw bar 'i and having-its ends entered inelongated slots 10 in the frame 5. i

Heretofore,.considerable ditliculty has been encountered by pulling outone or more draw b'ars of a train, especially when'a long string of carsconstitute the train, as the locomotive and forward cars have picked upconsiderable momen-tum before'the pull is imparted to the rearmost cars,and it the draw bars are in slack position, an extremely hard jerk isimparted to the latter draw bars, with the result that in 'manyinstances one ormore draw-bars are pulled loose fromthe cars, incidentto such sudden hard pull directed thereagainst. g

In some instances this difficulty occurs Iin drawing a train over` aroad which is up and down grade, at comparatively close intervals. Forexample, when the train hasbeentraveling down grade and suddenly startsup grade, the front end of the train will be retarded While .the rearend is, .still `traveling down grade under which conditions the rear endcars crowd forward and takeup the slack sub.- stantially throughout thetrain. If the' up `the train IWill pass over same and in many instancesstart downgrade again immediately, and'will gain speed-rapidly over therear end cars, it being understood that the slack is taken up betweentherear cars of the train last.- Bythis time the front end of the traingradeis comparatively short, the head end of horizontal sectional Viewis traveling at a much more' rapid speed than the rearward cars andthe-slack between these rear cars will be thus taken up with a quick thetrain jerk which often results in pulling the draw a fact well known tothose familiar with the'u art that the train proper 'drifts along at iaihigher speed than the engine. This causes a .slack to be taken. upbetween the'cars toward the head'end of the train first, and .as therear ing the draw bar mechani ythereof would be again subjectedtoasevere jerk which results in many instances in pullsm apart from the.cari It will be therefore' understood thatunder -the above vdescribedconditionsand circum-v stances that 'a draw bar' mechanism of one ofthe'cars of the train will be pulled loose, mak- `jing an expensiverepair necessary, and tying 2 0 up'the businessof the railroadtemporarily.

lVith thisin mind, I have provided means for de-.slacking the variousdraw bars throughout the train as desired so that the pull strain willbe'impartedto all 0f the carS of the train uniformly and Without Sudden,the cylinder 11 for cushioning purposes, a

and violent jerks usually 'causedbyithe takin'g up of slack at the drawbars. The means I have for thus eliminating this slackvwhen desiredconsists of a cylinder 11, whichis attached tothe base of the cars 2 ateach end thereof and preferably ata point immediately beneath the 'drawbar 3. A piston 12 is're'- ciprocally mountedin the cylinder 11, the lpiston rod 13 thereofextending through the outward endjvall of saidcylinder and having its outer end'fixed to a bracket 14 depending fromthe coupling head 4. A cylinder 11 1s*- -emb'odied with each vdraw bar,there being two to each of the cars 2, or oneat each end thereof andthepistons therein forced'outwardly .by :means of compressed air, which 1sconveyed into the cylinders through a pipe line 15, extending from thelocomotive through- A out the train to the 'last car sothat thepipe linemay be made `continuous throughout the length of the train. The mainline 15 islcon* nected in each' instance with a cylinder 11 by a branchline 17, and intersecting said branch line is an automatic valve` 18,normally held away from its seat 19 by means' of a spring 20, so thatairwill freely pass through the branch line 17. By operating -thethrottle 21 in the engine cab, which is apart of the pipe Aline 1 5, theengineer can take up the slack throughoutthe length of the train bymerely turning the throttle in one direction or release the air from allthe cylinders 11, by turning the throttle to another position asindicated by full and dotted lines in`Fig. 2, the positionof the partsindicated by the full lines placing the port 22 of the throttle inregistration with the escape port23 for releasing the air from thecylinders while the turning of the throttle to the position indicated bythe dotted lines will register the port 22 with the air storage tank 24and the' main line 15, for operating the' pistons 12.

The stem of the valve 1,8 vis attached at its outer end to a diaphragmmeans 25 so that by directing air pressure against sai-d diaphragm, thevalve may be forced to closed position for holding such air'as may bewithin the cylinder against escaping. The housing 26 within which thediaphragm is enclosed is connected to the air cylinder 27 of the regularair braking system, by means of a conduit 28, so that 1n the event thetrain itself becomes broken and the air pressure in the line 15 beinglost when ,'liosev couplings 1 6 Aare consequently pulled apart, thepressure from the air brake system will operate the diaphragm means 25and close the valve 18 against its seat. 19 in opposition tothespringQO, by whichvthe air 'within the cylinder 11v will be trappedsothat when the broken away party of the train again 'and save theabutting parts from severe and makes contact with the restof the train,the draw bar' 3` will be cushioned bythe piston 12- check valve 29 isattached tothe wall of the cylinder 1 1 so that a certain amount of airmay escape therethrough incident to such compression and-thus preventbursting or injury to the cylinder, owing to the sudden eX- cesspressure therein, The valve 29 is normally held closed by means of aspring 30, and the piston 12 isvreturned to its initial' position, whenthe air pressure thereagainst is re'- leased, by means of a spring 3lsurrounding the shaft 13, between the piston and head of I.

pull the first cars and start them in motion before. any great pullingstrength is exerted 'on the rear cars, by which arrangement it will beunderstood that the engine is enabled to move several feet before thefull load of -the train isfelt, and it is usually this start whichtheengine gets in advance of the cars of the train which enables the sameto be started. 4For these reasons it is therefore necessary to haveslack in the train at cer.- p

tain times and'very advantageous to eliminate this slack throughout thetrain, at other times. For this reason the throttle is provided in theengine cab as above mentioned so that the invention may be used when andas desired by the engineer to eliminate or provide slack throughout thetrain.

forward ones in many instances acts to co1- lapse the draw bar mechanismandy sometimes to knock the car truck out of place, and in bination withthe draw bar means of one or l some instances to'knock the cars entirely0E the track, and it will therefore .be understood that where the slackof the train is taken up by this apparatus before the brakesfare appliedthat the destructive impact at the draw bars will 4be eliminated whenthe slackis re.- moved by operation of the throttle valve. ,n

While the description and drawing illusr trates in a general way,certain instrumentali ties which may be employed in carrying theinvention into eifect, it is evident that many modifications may 'bemade in the various details, without departing from the scope of theappended claims, it being understood that -the invention isnot'frestrict'ed to the particular example herein described. f

What I claim is: e

1. In a slack takeup for trains, the com'- more carsconstituti'ng'atrain, of a cylinder for each draw bar, a piston for eachcylinder and connected to the draw barmeans, means A for injecting airfrom a source under pressure into suchwlinder for causing the piston ltomove saiddraw bar means and remove slack therefrom, an automatic valveintersecting the aforesaid air source for closing the same when*desired, an enclosed diaphragm'v for means VJfor directingklair to said.piston and cylinderl means; pressure actuated valve means forming apart of said conduit means,

the actuating mechanism of this valve means air. brake system of thetrain whereby the air brake pressure will being connected to the serveto close said `.valve means `when the air supply to said piston andcylinder-means is below acertain pressure. In' testimony whereof,

s WALTER corta 4 Ihavehereunto set my hand lontbis 171th day of July,"1928,

lto,

closing said valve, and means for conducting air'from a different sourceto said diaphragm for actuating the same for closing said valve.

2; In a slack take-up for trains, the combination with the draw bars ofthe cars of a train, and an air brake system associated with the cars,of a cylinder means for each draw bar, piston means associated with eachcylinder means and connected to the draw bar, means for directing air into the cylinder means, means controlled from s'aid air brake -system forconfining the air 1n said cylinder,

means when the pressure therein has been depleted to a prescribeddegree', means for lautomatically relieving the pressure in the cylindermeans, and means in the cab of a locomotive forA progressively charging.all the cylinders with air or releasing the same therefrom.

y 3. In a slack control fors trains with air brake systems, thecombination with the draw bar means of the car, of a piston and cylindermeans in conjunction therewith; conduit

